Central Coast icon celebrates 20 years at Somersby

He MIGHT just be Australia’s most famous dinosaur and next month Ploddy will celebrate 20 years of being perched prominently overlooking the M1 motorway at Somersby.

Patrick Boddan

2 min read

August 30, 2016 - 9:42AM

Central Coast Gosford Express Advocate

Robyn Weigel, Australian Reptile Park founder, with Ploddy the dinosaur at Somersby. Picture: Peter Clark

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He MIGHT just be Australia’s most famous dinosaur and next month Ploddy will celebrate 20 years of being perched prominently overlooking the M1 motorway at Somersby.

Ploddy was relocated from the old Australian Reptile Park at Wyoming in 1996, and is now a popular landmark, welcoming more than 40 million passing vehicles to the Central Coast each year.

The Ploddy legend was born following the growth of the Australian Reptile Park, which opened in 1958 when park founder, the late Eric Worrell, had the idea of combining snake venom production with tourism.

Ploddy the dinosaur under construction at the original Australian Reptile Park, Wyoming. Picture: Supplied

Commissioned in 1963 to put the park on the map, the giant diplodocus was Australia’s first roadside icon, weighing in at more than 100 tonnes, and more than 30m in length.

“She’s been part of my life forever,” park owner Robyn Weigel said on Monday.

Ms Weigel has a special affinity with Ploddy, having started work selling tickets for the park during the year she was built.

Ploddy and the park bus at Wyoming in 1968. Photo: Australian Reptile Park

She said the dinosaur was a unique landmark for the Coast.

“People always ask what colour is the dinosaur going to be now? It’s Christmas coming up, is he going to be red again?” Ms Weigel said.

“People connect her with the Central Coast, and being home.”

Ploddy being moved from Wyoming to Somersby. Photo: Australian Reptile Park

In 1996 Ploddy received a resounding reception when more than 10,000 people flocked to the streets of the Gosford CBD to watch her being transported on a giant semi-trailer from Wyoming to Somersby.

“We had only just finished the park, it was raining, and we weren’t quite sure whether she’d still be there when we got to the top of the hill,” Ms Weigel said.

“They even printed footprints on the roads in Gosford. It was just a fantastic experience.”

There was a huge street parade when Ploddy was relocated to Somersby. Picture: Supplied

The reptile park is holding a raffle to give residents the chance to celebrate the 20-year milestone, with a handful of Coasties chosen to repaint the dinosaur on Saturday, September 17.

Marketing manager Lizzie Doyle said the chance to paint Ploddy was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“To many locals on the Coast, Ploddy is an icon. She’s a friendly reminder you’re home, and she’s a welcome to the Coast, but she’s not usually touchable,” Ms Doyle said. “She is fenced for protection and outside the park grounds.